A great way
to meet new people, make new friends and bond with old ones is with a relay run. You get to know your teammates like no one
else and also find out a little about yourself.
A relay is a fast way to get to know people. Six bodies (or seven, if you have a driver) all
crammed into a van, there isn't a lot of privacy. There also isn't a lot of sleep but there is
plenty of talking about all things related to running and a whole lot of
snacking. It's kind of like a grown up
slumber party, without the pillow fights, but with some running shoes, lots of
miles and even more giggling. I've been
lucky enough to attend several running slumber parties but I'm thinking Cascade
Lakes Relay in Central Oregon is still my favorite.

I loved the
Ragnar Northwest Passage, but our return home almost took as long as the relay
itself with the ferry line. With
absolutely gorgeous scenery, the Northwest Passage runs from Blaine to Langley, Washington. Of course I love the
trek from Timberline to Seaside with the "Mother of all Relays" but it's gotten
a little crowded in the last 32 years.
Ragnar has a long drive and Hood to Coast has a whole lot of
people. Cascades Lakes Relay is the best
fit for me. It's still a bit of a drive
with the race starting at Diamond Lake Resort but you don't have to wait around
for a ferry or fight crowds. The rural,
high desert is a nice change of pace.
The altitude adds a challenge, as well as the heat, but that's what
runners like: a challenge.

Team Can't We All Just Run Along- Van 2

Cascade
Lakes Relay (CLR) is the first overnight relay to time each and every leg. Another
thing runners are pretty into is their pace. While they're still working out the bugs, it's
great to have a back-up to the clipboard and stopwatch. It was
fun to get periodic texts (when I had coverage) telling me where my team,
'Can't We All Just Run Along' was along the route. I'm old enough to remember doing Hood to
Coast WITHOUT cell phones, so this kind of technology is pretty exciting and
I'm super impressed that they are timing all 36 legs.

The course
itself is gorgeous and challenging with Mt. Bachelor in between the start and
finish line. It's a dry heat, but
definitely a warm relay except at night, which is COLD since you are in the high desert. Words can't describe the sky during the night
runs. You're up high and the sky is
clear, no city lights polluting the view, the stars are countless and
absolutely breathtaking. Hills and heat
are a challenge, but at least you have a van full of teammates to give you
support along the way with water and a spray down.

Between the
smells in the van and the port-a-potties, relays are not for people with weak
stomachs. Port-a-potties are always bad,
but add full port-a-potties and high temperatures and it makes you question
just how badly you need to go. CLR
definitely had some full port-a-potties, but I was super impressed with the
effort that went into at least making sure they had toilet paper. There was a super spirited guy that reminded
me of Otto from The Simpsons, he raced around to the different exchange points,
making sure our potties away from home were at least stocked. The lines weren't ridiculous and
I only had one exchange point that didn't have any toilet paper, pretty impressive
considering the number of people using them, all of which are trying to stay
hydrated.

Elk Lake Exchange Point

There's not
a lot of modesty going on with things like changing or discussing bodily
functions. Discussions that involve
everything from chafing, both guys and girls to politics (thanks to my son) and
everything in between. The lack of sleep
and general exhaustion make a team of 12 have very few boundaries for
discussion topics. This forty-something
soccer mom hooted out the window for a teammate to take off his shirt, not really something I usually do. In my defense, he was running
the four mile stretch that was pretty much straight up Bachelor, IN THE HEAT.

You do crazy
things during relays, 25-35 hours with your teammates in super close quarters
and you're running at least three legs, so you're tired and stink. My new group of friends didn't complain once
about how I smelled (and I was the worst of the crew), or that my teenager wore
the same pair of shorts for all three of his legs. He claimed his dunk in Elk Lake was like a
shower and I was too tired to argue.
There are special bonds that are forged when you run a relay together,
memories that last forever. Cascade
Lakes Relay does an exceptional job making the 216 mile journey an amazing
one. The course is well marked, there
are tons of volunteers (400 to be exact) and beer or sangrias are waiting for
you at the finish line. What's not to
love?! The new finish line is at the Old
Mill District, in Bend with a big grassy field and plenty of room to spread out
and relax. A great time to chat and
laugh about all the fun times you just experienced, it takes your mind off the
blisters and raw spots and in my case, my backpack- which I left at the finish
line. Thanks goodness for teammates and
friends looking out for me, even after the run.
Without them, I'd no longer have my iPod, Garmin, and running shoes, to
name a few things.

Nate Maughan runs the costume leg

Even if
you're like me and slow on the road, a relay is a fast way to make
friends. Race Directors, Scott and
Carrie Douglass make this all possible.
They are out there giving runners encouragement, limiting registration
so it doesn't get crazy crowded and keeping the course safe with plenty of
medical staff along the way. Add the fun
things like a costume leg, a beer garden at the finish and raising over $30,000 for local non-profit groups and you have a pretty near perfect relay. The 7th Annual Cascade Lakes
Relay will run August 1-2, 2014.
Registration will open October 1st. If a
relay is on your bucket list, you should run CLR, you and your 11 closest
friends just might get hooked.

Can't We All Just Run Along 2013

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